Chapter 25

Villain Only Acting 025

What They Hid (3)

"Yoo Jeong-a is out of the question."

As soon as she got home, Jeong Su-ryeon started nagging.

"That girl's fandom is no joke. No matter how much you're rising now, you can't use her. The name value is just different."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Scandal, scandal."

"Why would there be a scandal? It was a position set up by Mr. Lee Min-soo. We were always together."

"Hey. How close are Mr. Lee Min-soo and Yoo Jeong-a? If Mr. Lee says, 'I want to go on a secret date, but I'm scared of the paparazzi. Can you stay with me?' he would readily agree."

"It didn't feel like that at all."

"If a scandal breaks out, only you will suffer. Only you will be buried. Now is the time to be careful. Okay?"

"It didn't happen, I tell you."

"Actor Jeong Seo-hoon, the public is like this. It's not about the truth, but what they want to see. If a paparazzo takes a photo of you and Mr. Lee in the bathroom or when you're alone, you'll be in hell from that day on."

Jeong Seo-hoon, with a towel draped over his shoulder, glared with an annoyed look.

"Go away."

"Hey, I was scared for a second. I thought you were Lee Jin-wook."

"Go away."

"Get some sleep. Definitely."

The chimpanzee-like laughter finally faded away.

***

S#23.

Prosecutor Hwang Seon-hye (Yoo Jeong-a) senses the smell of crime from the sudden increase in missing persons in Gangnam.

While investigating the identities of the missing persons, she discovers a common thread.

It leads to the underground cartel that controls the night in Gangnam.

-They deal with everything from drugs, human trafficking, gambling houses, illegal betting, to cryptocurrencies. The scale of the underground economy they control is in the hundreds of billions... perhaps even trillions.

-Is the mastermind unidentified?

-This is the guy. Chairman Hwang Hak-jin of Jeongjin Industries.

Hwang Seon-hye stared intently at Hwang Hak-jin, dressed in a neat suit, as if trying to etch his face into her memory.

-The missing persons were either used and discarded by Hwang Hak-jin's business, betrayed him during a deal, or were customers who ran away with a girl. In any case, they were obstacles to Hwang Hak-jin's business.

-The motive is clear.

-The Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa police stations are practically Hwang Hak-jin's younger brothers. It's also suspected that he has connections in the Southern District Prosecutors' Office.

-It won't be easy.

Fueled by a sense of justice, Prosecutor Hwang Seon-hye continues to direct the investigation without giving up.

Despite the various pressures from politicians connected to Hwang Hak-jin, she remains steadfast.

The investigation team, having obtained intelligence that Hwang Hak-jin was moving to a gambling house, prepared a raid, and Hwang Seon-hye rushed to the scene to secure evidence after the arrest.

However, as they turned into a quiet alley for a quick entry, a blunt impact hit the vehicle.

Between the pain that pressed down on her body and the blurred vision, a familiar face appeared.

Someone she should never have met here, someone who was already dead.

"Prosecutor, it's been a while?"

The murderer she had prosecuted.

***

Yoo Jeong-a sat in the driver's seat of the crashed car after applying her makeup.

As she waited for the PD's cue, she saw Jeong Seo-hoon waiting at the designated position.

Wearing black pants, a dark striped shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat to cover his face, he looked more like a college student who had overslept and rushed to class than a murderer.

She suddenly recalled what Lee Min-soo had said yesterday.

'I'll tear you apart.'

She bit her lip slightly.

What had the senior actor Lee Min-soo seen in him to say such a thing?

She knew he was a good actor from watching him a few times.

But both Cha Do-jin and Lee Min-soo spoke to him as if he were a young audience member outside the stage.

"Standby, cue!"

As the camera started rolling, Yoo Jeong-a immersed herself in the role of Hwang Seon-hye, who had been in a car accident.

With her eyes half-open, she vaguely focused on Lee Jin-wook approaching from a distance.

'...!'

For a moment, Yoo Jeong-a almost widened her eyes, forgetting she was acting.

Lee Jin-wook, approaching with a slow, strangely unsettling gait, seemed to grow larger and larger in a bizarre way.

She couldn't see the cameras surrounding her, the lights, or anything else.

It felt as if a dark human shape was devouring the light around her in a tunnel of white light.

All her senses were fixed on Lee Jin-wook.

The moment she felt real body heat from the fake blood on her face, she shivered.

Lee Jin-wook, who had approached the car window, bent down and leaned his face close.

The usually mild scent of the moisturizer felt unbearably repulsive today.

Perhaps it wasn't the scent, but something else...

"Prosecutor, it's been a while?"

Yoo Jeong-a fainted.

It was an accident not in the script.

***

The outdoor filming site became chaotic.

Yoo Jeong-a's manager and the styling team rushed to check on her.

After laying her down and helping her relax, massaging her limbs, she quickly regained consciousness.

Her eyes, which had been flickering like a burnt-out bulb, gradually regained focus.

"Jeong-a, are you okay? Are you back to your senses?"

"...Ah. Manager."

As she tried to recall, her expression suddenly turned to one of shock as she looked around.

The moment she confirmed Jeong Seo-hoon's awkward gaze, confusion clouded her face.

'What is this?'

The unpleasant feeling she had before fainting was gone.

It seemed like he had just borrowed her shell and flipped it inside out in a ridiculous way.

As she caught her breath, Song Jeong-woo ran over upon hearing she had regained consciousness.

"Ms. Yoo Jeong-a, are you okay? If you're not feeling well, just say so. We can call off today's filming."

"No, I'm really fine."

"If anything happens to Ms. Yoo Jeong-a, I'll be lynched by fans across the country. I'll lose my job. If you're not feeling well, let's call it a day."

"I'm really fine."

After confirming a few more times, Song Jeong-woo withdrew.

'Jeong Seo-hoon.'

As the situation calmed down, Jeong Seo-hoon calmly returned to his sketchbook, which felt somewhat annoying.

'I won't lose.'

"PD, I can do it properly. This time, without any NGs..."

"Huh? There was no NG?"

"What?"

According to the original script, after a few lines of dialogue, Lee Jin-wook would knock her out with a chloroform-soaked handkerchief, and the scene would move on.

"How could there be no NG? It was different from the script..."

"We're going to keep it as is. It's better than the script. Writer Kim agreed, and they're making the changes now."

"..."

"The beginning of the next scene will change a bit, but it shouldn't be a burden. If you're not feeling well, just say so. Your health is the top priority."

Yoo Jeong-a, who had been staring with dilated pupils, burst out laughing.

***

Amid the busy preparation for the filming setup, Art Director Jang Chun-sik quietly approached Jeong Seo-hoon.

"Seo-hoon, I have a favor to ask."

"Yes, Director. What is it?"

"About the drawings you made to capture your emotions. Can I borrow them?"

Jeong Seo-hoon stared, and Jang Chun-sik waved his hands as if making an excuse.

"I don't mean anything by it. I thought they would be useful as a reference when setting up the war scene. Of course, I'll include your name in the art credits. It could also be a good boost for your fans. This kind of thing can be great content for them."

"I'm embarrassed by my amateur skills."

"Absolutely not. They were great. I really want to use them as a reference."

"Then I'll bring them to the set tomorrow."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

Jang Chun-sik returned with a smile.

***

Episode 6 aired.

The scene where Lee Jin-wook and Hwang Hak-jin first appeared together hit the peak viewing rate.

Some hardcore film fans even praised it as a generational shift in acting prowess.

-The meeting of the setting sun and the rising sun. Wow.

-The tension is palpable. I hope to see this combination on the big screen someday, in the same setup.

-I hope Jeong Seo-hoon will do a noir or action film next.

Core media fans fiercely debated when the newcomer Jeong Seo-hoon would enter the film industry and what kind of sensation he would create.

However, the professional discussion was overshadowed by a simpler topic.

-So, what brand is the outfit Lee Jin-wook wore today?

-I found it! Here (link)

-Eborde, Eborde, Eburde? What the hell is that?

-It was PPE? Ah, that's why they told him to dress like that from now on.

-Of course, the PPE queen. It was natural.

What They Hid (4)